The present invention relates to air-conditioners and more particularly to room air-conditioners.
Fixed room air-conditioners of the conventional type generally comprises wall-mounted units, window mounted units, or split-system units where the evaporator and room air-fan may be wall or window mounted and the compressor, condenser and associated equipment are remotely located in order to reduce noise levels in the room.
Generally there are a number of detractions to using the aforementioned units not the least of which involve the installation costs and the relatively poor aesthetics which result from the unit projecting externally from the building wall or window. In the case of the split-system unit aesthetics are not a detraction since the major equipment is installed remotely or at least externally of the building and normally in a location which does not detract from the building aesthetics, but in this case the installation costs are relatively high.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved integrated (as opposed to split-system) room air-conditioner and a method of installation which obviates or at least reduces the relatively high installation costs and poor aesthetics of conventional fixed room air-conditioners.
It is another object to provide an integrated room air-conditioner which has improved operating efficiency and/or manufactured cost over conventional room air-conditioners.
Accordingly, in one form the invention provides a room air conditioner for installation into a pre-constructed aperture through a building wall, which aperture extends upwardly from the building floor level, said air-conditioner having a depth substantially equivalent to the wall thickness and being adapted to stand at floor level within said aperture with front and rear faces substantially flush with internal and external surfaces of said wall, respectively.
Preferably cooling air for the air-conditioner condenser coil is drawn in and extracted solely through the rear of said air-conditioner.
Preferably said air-conditioner includes fastening means for attaching said air-conditioner to installation brackets provided within said aperture.
Preferably said condenser coil is mounted on or near a base pan of the air-conditioner adjacent said rear face thereof and an evaporator coil of the air-conditioner is mounted above the level of the condenser coil and adjacent said front face thereof, a first fan is provided above the level of said condenser coil for providing said cooling air for said condenser coil and a second similar fan is provided for drawing room air through said front face, over said evaporator coil whereby it is cooled, and discharging said cooled air into said room, and a single electric motor is provided for driving said fans.
Preferably said condenser and evaporator coils are of C-shaped cross-section.
In a further form the invention provides a room air-conditioner wherein a single electric motor is used to drive both an evaporator fan for drawing room air through an evaporator coil and discharging said air back into said room, and a condenser fan for drawing external air through a condenser coil for cooling purposes and discharging said air externally of said room.
Preferably said shafts extend vertically and said fans draw air into the fan axially and discharge the air radially.
Preferably said fans are mounted in coaxial alignment and said electric motor is mounted between said fans with its axis coaxial therewith, the shaft of said motor being connected at respective ends directly with drive shafts of the fans.
Preferably said fans are mounted with their rotational axes coaxial and said motor is arranged between said fans with the motor rotational axis coaxial with the rotational axes of said fans.
In a still further form the invention provides a room air-conditioner for location in an external wall of the room and wherein condensate collected from an evaporator coil is utilized to cool refrigerant pipes entering and leaving a condenser coil of the air-conditioner.
Preferably said condensate is also sprayed onto said condenser coil for cooling purposes.
Preferably a drain pan under said evaporator coil collects said condensate and pipe means delivers said condensate by gravity to container means adjacent said condenser coil, inlet and outlet pipes of said condenser coil passing through said container means and thereby being cooled by said condensate and thus providing further cooling to said refrigerant.
Preferably said pipe means comprises one or more pipes extending from said drain pan to said container means, and said container means comprises separate containers for said inlet and outlet pipes of said condenser coil.